Monday, November 08, 2004

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

It’s hard to describe the dancing style of Nick Cave, John Cleese crossed with Bono is probably the closest I can manage. Certainly the strange, uncomfortable, jabbing shapes, set at acute angles to the world are in keeping with the musical fayre he and the Bad Seeds offer up.

The first hour of the set concentrates on the latest double album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus and the second hour on a right mixture from the back catalogue. Darkness and twisted evil are the dish of the day and lyrics of death and murder are punched out with great force. Set amongst this backdrop however are dropped the occasional glimpses of redemption and light, with classics like Into My Arms leaving the audience in a tangible state of awe.

Even so, I wouldn’t have picked Nick Cave as a likely candidate to have to abandon a song due to laughing, but after three attempts to get past the first few lines of the second verse of The Lyre of Orpheus he gives up gracefully. We love him all the more as a result!

The evening wraps up with classics such as The Weeping Song, Stagger Lee and Mercy Seat – Nick Cave doing what he does best. Even Phil and Sarah seem to be buzzing by the time the house lights come up.